Hand brake for railway cars



Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. GEIGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, lO`

1,575,752 PATENT OFFICE.

W. I-I. MINER, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HAND BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application led April 3, 1924. Serial No. 703,842.

.To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. GEIGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hand Brakes for Bailway Cars, of which the following is av full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

lIhis invention relates to improvements in hand brakes for railway cars.

In the operation of hand brakes of the vertical staff type for railway cars, difficulty has been experienced heretofore due to theV binding of the staff when released, this binding being frequently caused by the bulging of the endl wall of the car or by bending of the staff itself, with the result that even though the brake is released in the usual manner, the chain will not become fully slack, thereby permitting the friction shoes to remain in Contact with the wheels.

The objectof my invention is to provide an arrangement especially adapted for hand brakes of the vertical staff type, wherein provision is made` for positively insuring the full and free release of the brake staff so that the friction shoes may be freely dis engaged from the wheels to minimize wear therebetween and reduce the t-ractive effort required of the locomotive.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

Iny the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is' a vertical sectional view taken through the end wall of a car and showing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1 and corresponding to the section line 2-2 thereof. Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the manner of mounting the trip lever. And Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the supporting bracket, ratchet wheel and brake staff.

In said drawing, the end wall of the car is indicated at 1() and a housing or bearing bracket, designated'generally by the reference character A, is secured thereto. Said bracket is provided with a rear wall 11 rigidly or otherwise secured to the car wall 10 by means of rivets 14, said bracket also having a` bottom web or wall 1.2 extending horizontally and provided with a journal bearing 13. An intermediate web or partition 15 extends horizontally from the rear wall 11 above the web 12 and vertical flanges 16 are provided to form an enclosing casing. A cap or-cover plate 17 is also employed and' is preferably connected to the main portion of the bracket casting A by means of the bolt 25.

A portion of the usual brake staff is indicated at 18, the same having its upper end 19 made square or of other non-circular cross section and on which is rigidly secured a. ratchet wheel B. The ratchet wheel B is provided with an upper' and a lower set of ratchet teeth 20 and 21 respectively, the lower end of the ratchet wheel being provided with a journal adapted` to rotate within the bea-ring 13 ofthe bracket.

Oscillatably mounted on the ratchet wheel B is a carrier or fulcrum member, designated generally by the reference carrier C. Pivotally mounted on the fulcrum member is an operating handle or lever 22, said lever being .pivotally connected to the carrier member by means of a horizontally Vextending .pivot bolt 23. The handle 22 is provided with a spring-influenced pawl 24 adapted to cooperate with the set of ratchet teeth 2O of the ratchet wheel when it is desired toV rotate tl e ratchet wheel in a cliainwvinding direc--` tion. In Figure 1. the operating handle is shown in inoperative position and when it is desired to rotate the ratchet wheel in a step-by-ttep` movement to wind the brake chain lon the staff 18, the operating handle is swung vertically to a horizontal position 'and then oscillated in the usual manner. l After the hande is released, it automatically falls to a vertical, inoperative position as shown in Figure 1.

To hold the staff against accidental reverse rotation, I preferably employ the following` means: A locking dog 26 having a toothed end 27 adapted to engage and coact with the ratchet teeth 21 is pivotal'ly mounted on the vertically extending bolt 25, between the webs 12 and 15, the other end of the dog being' extended to form a release handle or lever 28. A spring 29 is interposed between the toothedend of the dog and a stationary part of the bracket to normally urge the toothed end into cooperative engagen'ient with the ratchet teeth 21. A sleeve or bushing' 30 is slidahlji inounted upon the Vertical holt 25 so as to he inovahle verticalli'v thereon and is rigidly connected at its lower end to the dog' 2G hy ineens ot a set siren' 2o or other siiitahle device, the upper end ot said sleeve. being provided with an annular enlargement or shoulder 3l. sprint,`

arranged betiveen the cover plate l shoulder 3l to noinialh7 press the 'sleeve and the dog` carried thereby downwardly. The

iveh portion l2 et the i'illi lixeil ratchet teeth proside,

Wiart to lie iioriiial position, as slioin in lt'giires the ratchet `teeth l'l and fla' vfill he in and the rotation ot the ratchet viieei cause the dopr to osrillate about the holt QT and perniit ot a step-hv- ;ep iiioi'e nient ot said ratchet wheel, said oog' riding upwardhv on the ratchet teetl 33 or lifting' whenever the toothed end 2? is 'forced outwardly of the ratchet teeth 2l, the oscillation ot said doi, to perii'iit ot this steph tep rotation ot the ratchet Wheel, being; agr/:mist the pressure ot the spring lllhen the release l handle is pulled to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1l, it ivill retract the tooth 2T 'troni Ahe ratchet Wheel, cai sing` the ratchet teeth Slioi" the dogto ride or litt relatii'ely ot the stationary ratchet teeth 333, advaneing;l relatively thereto, and drop into reengineenient with the lixed ratchet teeth, so that after the release handle has been inored to its released position, the dog will he held in its inoperative or retracted position out engagement ivith the rachet Whe-e ln order to reset 'the dop; to position when it is desired to the ratchet wheel ll, l have prov Y lever 86 pivoted to the hracliet at any able point as, tor example, on the Wall lo by ineens of a horizontal pivot l 3T, the inner end of said rip lever 'forked as at 38 and engaging the under e of the shoulder 3l. Yilhen it is desired to reset the dog to its normal operative position, the trip lever 3G is manually actuated and, as it pivots, its'inner end will lif't the sleeve 30 and dog` and perinit the spring` 29 to exert its Jforce to oscillate the dop; to its nori'nal position.

The operation ot the hand hi'alie is as follows, assuming that the )arts are in their noiinal ope ative position slioivn in ures i and Q, with the dog` tooth 2T conci' With the ratchet teeth 21 and perinittin oit a step-by-step Winding niorenient o ratchet 7vvheel. ln this position, the osei tion of the dog'neeessary for the steplijv-step iiiovenient ot the ratchet Wheel Will not he through an are sul'lieieiitto cause the doev lo ride con'ipletely over a ratchet tooth $513 and thus he held out ot operative position h v said ratchet teeth 33. lWhen it is desired to release the dog troni its holding` engageinent with the ratchet Wheel, the release handle is pulled horizontally to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure il; and during the inoven'ient ot the release handle, Jihe dog is oscillated suilicientlj,7 to anse it to ride or lift over the stationary ratchet teeth 312% and thence drop iiito i'eeiigageinent there with, to iiiaiiitain the dog; iii its inoperative or retracted position to peiu'iif` roiiiplete iiiovenieiit of the ratchet wheel. hile the dog is held inoperative, the liralfe stall", even though it nia;v stiel; or hind. during; the latter portion ot the release ot the liraltes, v'il iievei'tleless he towed to e iiitiiiue its rotation in an unnindiiie direction `when the ear `gets iii niotion and jai'- ringv ot the liralre chain occurs, thereby pri'- iiii'i'tiiig the linke shoes to hecoiiie Vfull)Y disengaged '.ti li the wheels and the liralie chain to he 'fullyv slacled. llllien the opera/o ing;l handle 22 is to he agaii applied to iviiid the br: lie chain, the trip lever 236 is manuallyv actuated to lift the dop` ahoif'e the stationary ratchet teeth 25;, Whereupi'iii the springl 12S) actuates the dog 'forwardlj,Y into ejugjagenieiit with the ratchet Wheel l have herein shown and desciiheifl ivliat l new consider the preferred ii'iauner olf carrying out the invention, hut the ii'ierely illustrative, and l eon'trinplaiia changes and modifications that eoiiie irithii the scope ot the claiins aopeiided hereto.

l claim:

i. ln hand li release V li ai liralee f and -incliet vi'llecl rotaoiole 'n unison 1th,' or ineans for rota'i. id stal l ep iiioi'eiiient; a doe eo" with said ratchet v-:lieel fini reimy auoiiiaticailj )pei k inoperative p sition when the latter is Yved 'to said inoperative position, .said

aus including an elenienf'; operable 'to el'- 'lt re-se'tiiig' et said dogg' iii nornial position, and a lever pivetfil ahout an axis at an angle to the :ir-,iis ot said elenie and adapted to co-act ltlieren'itli 'to operate 'the saine 2. ln a hand b 'alie for railiif'af,7 cars, 'the combination with a rotatable ratchet Wheel;

yans *for rotating said .vlieel iii a stepnioi'enient in a winding direction;

aiidle; a spriiig-influenced lool'- -.vitli ratchet ivheel 'lo i, fgarnst accidental reverse ro- 'o inoperative position ineans autoinaticall;1

operative to lock said dog in released position out ot engagement with said ratchet teeth when said release handle is moved to released position, said means being arranged to permit normal rat-cheting of said dog prior to release; and means -for releasingl said automatic means to permit said 'dog to return to ratchet-engaging position.

3. In a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with a vertical staff and a ratchet wheel rotatable therewith; of means for rotating said wheel in a winding direction; a locking dog normally coaeting with said wheel to prevent accidental reverse rotation thereof; a release handle operable to move said dog to inope ative position; means for locking said dog in inoperative position after its movement to inoperative position by said handle, said means comprising ratchet teeth carried by said dog independent of the wheel engaging portion coacting with stationary ratchet teeth on a fixed part of said brake, and a spring arranged to hold said last-mentioned ratchet teeth in mesh; and means for bodily shifting said dog to disengage said ratchet teeth.

et. In a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with a rotatable ratchet wheel; ot means for rotating said wheel in a Winding direction; a spring-pressed locking dog pivotally mounted to swing in a substantially horizontal plane and coacting with said ratchet wheel to prevent accidental reverse rotation thereof; a release handle operable to move said dog to inoperative position; means for automatically locking said dog after its actuation to inoperative position by said handle, said means being manually operable independently of said release handle to elevate said dog, said lastmentioned means including ratchet teeth carried by said dog and coacting with fixed ratchet teeth; and a spring arranged to hold said last-mentioned ratchet teeth in mesh.

5. In a hand brake for railway cars; the

` combination with a supporting bracket; ot'

a ratchet wheel rotatable thereon; means for rotating said wheel in a step-by-step movement in a winding direction; a springpressed, pivotally mounted locking dog coacting with said ratchet wheel to prevent reverse rotation thereof; a release handle for moving said dog to inoperative position; means for automatically locking said dog in inoperative position after said dog has been moved to inoperative position byA said handle, said means comprising ratchet teeth carried by said dog, and ratchet teeth formed on a stationary part of' said bracket and engageable with said last-mentioned ratchet teeth; a spring arranged to hold said last-mentioned ratchet teeth in mesh; and a manually engageable member operative to shift said dog in a direction independent of its pivotal movement out ot mesh with said stationary ratchet teeth to permit it to reengage said ratchet wheel.

G. In a hand brake for railway cars; 'the combination With a rotatable member adapted to effect tightening of the brake chain when rotated in one direction and having a ratchet wheel rigidly associated therewith; means for effecting step-by-step rotation of said member in a chain-tightening direction; a locking dog co-operable with said ratchet wheel to prevent reverse rotation thereof, said dog being movable in one direction in its ratchetingk action and adapted also `:tor limited movement inv a direction at an angle thereto; means vfor retracting said dog beyond its operative ratcheting position; Vmeans automatically operable to retain said dog in its retracted inoperative position when so positioned by said retracting means; and means for shifting said dog in said direction at an` angle to its ratcheting movement to thereby release the dog and permit its re-engagement with the ratchet Wheel.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name ythis 1st day of April; 1924.

IVILLIAM A. GEIGER. 

